Erectile dysfunction or a witch’s curse
Exploring human sexuality is complex and multifaceted, demanding a balanced and nuanced understanding of both sexes; for example, the issue of erection is particularly relevant to the study of male sexual health. But the cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) has different explanations.
In the Middle Ages, people believed an evil witch’s curse caused ED. So, men had to think about who sent it and use kind words to appease their power. A later theory blamed impotence on too much masturbation. Even nocturnal emissions, typical for the male body, were considered a reckless waste of sperm. There were also shockingly cruel tools for controlling ejaculation. For example, a ring that triggered spikes when the man had an erection.
With the rise of Freudianism, ED became defined as a psychological problem. Proponents of this idea believed that penises lose their ability to harden due to neurosis, and therefore treatment involved working with a psychiatrist.
The situation changed in 1980 when doctors considered ED a physiological issue. The problem seemed to be solved when Pfizer introduced Viagra in 1998. But it was not salvation for everyone.
Today, doctors believe that ED can have both physiological and psychogenic origins. If the problem is psychological, the man will have an erection in his sleep. Previously, doctors recommended special postage stamp strips fastened around the penis at night. If the penis broke the ribbon during sleep, it wasn’t a physiological problem.
Roach points out that there are more radical approaches to treating physiological erectile problems. She talks about the experience of Taiwanese doctor Gen Lun Su, who offers a surgical solution. It’s worth learning how an erection happens to understand his approach better, but in short, the squeezing of the veins by the erectile tissues restricts the flow of blood through the penis. The most common cause of erectile dysfunction is the aging of these tissues, which can no longer control blood flow. Dr. Su’s idea is to block and remove part of the vein to reduce or stop blood outflow.
Interestingly, other doctors abandoned this method due to low efficiency. Dr. Su believes in his approach, although its success remains a mystery. Maybe he has a particular skill, or Taiwanese patients hide the fact that the effect of the operation has waned over the years.